Buckle.



No. 70I,56l. Patented lung 3, I902.

M. J. GRIFFIN.

BUCKLE.

Application filed Aug. so, 1901.)

I (No Model.)

THE MRI: PEYERS co. Pficwauma. WASHINGTON n, c

UNITED STATES;

PATENTJOFFICEQ MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN, OF I-I OLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUCKLE.

srEcfr'I'cArIoN forming'part of Letters ram No. 701,561, dated June 3, 1902.

' Applicationfiled Angnst30,1901. seriai mvavse. momma.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that 1, MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specificatiom' This invention relates to buckles, the object being to provide improved means for manipulating the tongue thereof whereby the free end of the same is movedover and withdrawn from that part of the buckle-frame on which it lies while engaging the end of the strap, and, furthermore, to provide a peculiar construction of said tongue 7 manipulating means whereby said strap end; while engaged by the tongue serves to maintain the tonguemanipulating element in a tongue-locking position; and the invention consists in the peculiarly-constructed tongue holding and operating element carried on one bar of the buckle, all as hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of parts of a strap and a sectional View of parts of a buckle uniting theends of said strap embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa similar view to Fig. 1, but showing the tongue of buckle withdrawn from the strap and the latter turned upward. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the buckle attached to one end 'ofthe said strap and of the opposite end of the latter. extending under the buckle and b rok'en off-be neath the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tongue-support'of the buckle, illustrating a slightly-modified construction thereof, as below described. I

In the drawings, 2 indicates the frame of the buckle of ordinary form, and 5 the buckle-.

tongue actuator, which comprises the cylindrical, preferably metallic, body 5, on which" is a laterally-projecting fin'genpiecefi, (either of the form shownin Figs. 2 and 3 or in Fig.

4,) having a longitudinal half round groove". 9 in the surface thereof opposite said finger-f, 7,

piece, thereby so hangingthe same that it rocks with an eccentric movement.

rocks, as aforesaid, and to have a 'reciprocat-' swinging said shown in Fig. "thetongue becomes engaged with a strap by {moving the direction;

Said'cyf lindrical part is adapted to be engaged by one,

ing rotary movement thereon, whereby the side thereof opposite said groove has said eccentric or cam-like movement for acting upon the buckle-tongue, as below described. A half-round groove 8 is made around the actuator about midway between its ends, said groove continuing through said finger-piece.

The tongue 4 after said actuator is placed on the bar 3 0f the frame has one end thereof placed in said groove 8 and is bent loosely around the same and the bar 3, as shown in Fig. v2, so that the tongue and actuator may each have a certain degree of free movement on said bar,- to the end that the tongue bearing solelyon said actuator may be free to swing into position to engagewith'and to be withdrawn from the end of the strap engaged thereby, as below described. From the foregoing description of the construction of said actuator and the connection of the tongue 4 therewith it will be seen that by grasping and swinging said finger-piece in opposite directions said tongue is given reciprocating endwise movements, whereby the free end' thereof is carried through a puncture in the strap end, 10 and to aposition over the outer bar of the buckle-frame, thereby securing the end of the strap to the buckle, and .to unbuckle -.the strapthe tongue is withdrawn with ease from said bar engagement regardless of any degree of strain upon strap is unbuckled,

said strap. Thus the so to speak, by simply finger-piece from the position 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, and

said finger-piece in the opposite The central or the corner parts of the finger-piece, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, are: given somewhat of an upwardly-projecting form in order that the end of the strap when lying over the finger-piece buckled 'andins'erted into, the loop 7, as in Fig. 1, shall so bear thereupon as to prevent'the rearward movement of the tongueu nderany conditions of use." n I, 7 V

Iclaim- 1 1. In a buckle, a frame, atongue, one end {of which loosely encircles oneof' the bars of said frame, a cylindricaltongue-actuator eccentrically hung on said tongue-encircled bar, and means for rotating said eccentric, and

ICO

thereby imparting an endwise movement to and tongue are held against displacementconsaid tongue in a direction across said frame, sequent upon a strain on said strap, substansubstantially as described. tially as set forth.

2. In a buckle, a frame having front and In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 rear bars, a tongue one end of which encirname to this specification in the presence of I5 cles one of said bars, a rotatable cam on said two subscribing witnesses.

tongue-encireled bar engaging said tongue, MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN. means for reciprocally rotating said cam and Witnesses: for the engagement thereof with a strap at- H. A. OHAPIN,

I0 tached to said buckle, and whereby said cam G. T. PIERCE. 

